


your homecoming is my homecoming

by philindas



Category: Madam Secretary
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 07:56:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12790152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: Elizabeth Adams is a single mother raising her daughter with the help of her brother. She meets single father Henry McCord at Stevie's dance class, and finds herself instantly drawn to him. Sparks fly, but Elizabeth can't help but wonder what it is about him that's so familiar to her.





	your homecoming is my homecoming

Elizabeth Adams had been in the CIA for nearly a decade- had traveled all over the world, been shot at, interrogated terrorists. Nothing about her suggested weakness- it was part of the training.

But she did have a weakness- she had blonde hair, blue eyes, was missing two of her front teeth, and was the only person in the world Elizabeth had a hard time saying no to.

"Stevie, baby, Mommy has to go to work," Elizabeth pleads with her daughter, who was currently clinging to her pant leg and refusing to let go. "You love ballet, and Uncle Will is picking you up tonight, you're staying with him for the night."

"No, Mommy. I want to stay with you," Stevie sobs, lifting damp blue eyes to look at her, and Elizabeth's heart nearly melts in her chest as she sinks to her eight year old's level to wipe away the tears.

"I'll only be gone for a night, baby, I promise," Elizabeth assures her- and she hates this part of her job, hates that she has to leave her daughter, her whole world, behind. "I'll be there for dinner tomorrow, I swear. We'll get pizza."

"With extra pepperoni?" Stevie asks, swiping at her cheeks and Elizabeth nods, tucking stray blonde hair behind her daughter's ears.

"I'll even get stuffed crust, just for you," she bribes, and Stevie's entire face lights up. "I love you so much, Stevie."

"I love you too, Mommy," Stevie said, throwing herself at Elizabeth and wrapping her thin arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. Elizabeth squeezed her hard, kissing the side of her head before she released her, touching her daughter's cheek once more before she let Stevie scamper off towards the ballet room- she linked arms with another girl on the way in, and Elizabeth's chest eased.

"You're Stevie's mom?" she looks up at the question, standing up to come face-to-face with a tall, kind-faced man. She nods, smiling slightly.

"I'm Elizabeth Adams," she introduces herself, extending her hand, and the man takes it, giving a firm shake.

"I'm Henry McCord, my daughter Alison is in Stevie's tap class," he tells her, and Elizabeth remembers the name from the roster. "I've seen you before, I've just never been able to put a name to the face."

"Unfortunately I work a lot out of the country," she replies, and his eyes widen in interest. "My brother Will helps out a lot, he picks her up when I'm not here."

"What about Stevie's dad?" Henry asks, and Elizabeth shrugs.

"Not in the picture. It's just me and her, and her uncle," Elizabeth answers, and Henry's face softens in sympathy.

"I'm doing the single dad thing, so I understand," he tells her, and Elizabeth touches his forearm gently, lips curving into a smile. Her phone beeps, alerting her she had to head to Andrews to catch her flight with Isabelle, and she swallowed, eyes darting to where Stevie was getting into position. Henry noticed. "I'll keep an eye on her for you."

She looks up, a little startled, but gives him a genuine smile, shoulders relaxing just a touch.

"Thank you. I hate leaving, but I have to," she sighs, rubbing at the back of her neck. "I'm sure I'll see you around, Henry McCord."

"I'm sure you will, Elizabeth Adams," he answers, and when she leaves the dance studio, her chest is pleasantly warm.

She's distracted on her drive to the airport, torn between worrying about Stevie and pondering the warmth of Henry McCord's gaze. It had been a long time since she'd felt the pull towards any person- not since Stevie's father, and even that had been a drunken night in college; one that had completely changed her life.

But something about Henry- he felt  _safe_ ; familiar, despite only just meeting him. Elizabeth knew he really would keep an eye on Stevie when she couldn't be there, and relief bloomed in her chest. She loved her brother, and knew he was reliable, but he couldn't always force himself to sit through Stevie's dance classes after pulling shifts at the hospital.

"Earth to Bess," she snaps out of it at Isabelle's teasing voice as the brunette settles down in the seat across from her on the plane, grinning down at her. "Who was that dumb grin for?"

Elizabeth flips her off, picking the file on the table up and skimming through the pages she already knows well. Isabelle smirks, placing her bag on the empty seat and leaning forward, resting her elbows on the table.

"Come on, give me the gossip," she prompts, and Elizabeth sighs, closing the folder.

"I met one of the dads at Stevie's dance studio," she answers, and Isabelle's face lights up in delight, and she claps her hands together. "He seems very nice- his daughter is in Stevie's tap class."

Isabelle raises an eyebrow, and Elizabeth huffs out a breath.

"I am not going to throw myself at a dance studio father, Isabelle. I haven't dated since I had Stevie," she reminds her, and Isabelle reaches forward to touch the back of her hand.

"All the more reason to get back in the game! It's been over eight years, Bess. You've thrown yourself into this job and being a mother- you've neglected your own life in the process. You deserve something for yourself," Isabelle reminds her, and Elizabeth bites at her lower lip. "Maybe hot studio dance dad is your something."

"I didn't say he was hot," Elizabeth points out, and Isabelle smirks.

"I know you. Of course he's hot."

* * *

 

It is way past dinner time.

Elizabeth can feel the disappointment as soon as she walks in the house and finds Stevie already in her pajamas, dejectedly watching a movie on the couch. Will is reading a medical journal at the kitchen table, jotting down notes, and he looks up at the door shutting behind her.

"You're late," he tells her quietly as she deposits her bag on the floor and steps out of her shoes, rubbing at the back of her neck.

"I know- it couldn't be helped. It was pouring, we couldn't take off," she replies softly, looking over at the couch where Stevie is still pointedly ignoring her. "How mad is she?"

"She refused to get pizza without you," Will answers, and Elizabeth winces. "I'm going to bed- I've got an early shift, and I picked up a double so I won't be home until late Friday."

"Thank you for watching her," Elizabeth said, kissing his cheek as he walked by; he ruffled her hair before he squeezed her shoulder, disappearing down the hall. Squaring her shoulders, Elizabeth walks into the living room, sitting on the couch by Stevie's feet. "So. Feel like talking to me yet?"

Stevie curls further into her pillow, eyes glued to the television, and Elizabeth sighs. She reaches over and grabs the remote, clicking the screen off and drawing a soft cry from her daughter as she sat up, looking at Elizabeth in betrayal.

"You said dinner time," Stevie's lower lip trembled as she spoke, and Elizabeth felt inadequacy well up in her chest as her throat closes up. "You missed dinner time, Mommy."

"I know baby. I'm really sorry- it was raining, and I couldn't get home on time," Elizabeth explains, brushing away the tears that dripped down her daughter's cheeks. "I'm sorry I broke my promise. I wanted to be home for pizza with you, Stevie."

"I didn't want pizza without you," Stevie confesses softly, pulling her knees up until she can wrap her arms around her legs, and Elizabeth is struck by how grown up her daughter is getting. She was getting bigger before her very eyes, and there's an ache in her chest for the tiny baby they'd placed in her not-even-close-to-ready arms eight years ago.

"Come here, baby," Elizabeth says, urging Stevie over; Stevie scoots across the couch and settles into Elizabeth's embrace. She wraps herself around her daughter, burying her nose in blonde hair that smells like strawberry shampoo.

She realizes Stevie's drifting off after some time has passed, and she goes to move, but Stevie shifts sleepily.

"Sleep here, Mama," she slurs out, eyes not even opening as she settles herself more firmly into Elizabeth's side, tiny fingers clutching at her sweater.

"Okay, baby. We'll stay here," Elizabeth whispers, pressing her lips to the top of Stevie's head, rubbing her back as she drifted further to sleep. Elizabeth shut her own eyes, letting out a breath as she let Stevie's even breathing lull her to sleep.

* * *

 

The next morning, Elizabeth is preparing Stevie's lunch for school when her phone buzzes- she frowns at the unknown number, opening the text message.

_This is Henry McCord, from the dance studio. I got your number from the roster. Sorry if this is forward but- would you want to grab dinner with me on Saturday?_

She stares at the text for a handful of minutes, considering- but Isabelle's words ring in her head, and she picks up her phone, fingers hovering for a moment before she answers.

_I'd love to. Pick me up at 7?_

She finishes Stevie's lunch and gets out her cereal for breakfast, smiling at the dragging footsteps she can hear coming down the hall.

"Good morning, Stevie," she says as her daughter climbs into her chair, head resting sleepily on her hand.

"Hi Mommy," Stevie yawns, picking up her spoon and digging into her Cheerios.

Elizabeth looks at her phone when it buzzes, lips curving into a smile at the words on the screen.

_It's a date._


End file.
